75% Female Enrollment Prompts UWI Five Islands to Focus on Male Engagement

UWI Five Islands Targets Gender Gap with Male-Focused Programmes

The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus is stepping up efforts to address a persistent challenge in higher education across the Caribbean: the gender imbalance in student enrollment. With women comprising over 75% of the campus population, university officials are now actively rolling out programmes aimed at attracting more male students.

“We are seeing the same pattern that exists across the wider UWI system—women outnumbering men significantly in tertiary education,” said Professor Justin Robinson, principal of the Five Islands Campus. “But we’re not looking to lower female enrollment—we’re trying to bring more men into the academic fold.”

Two of the campus’s newest degree offerings—Criminology and Criminal Justice, and a suite of sports-focused programmes—have been designed with male engagement in mind.

The Criminology programme, in particular, is already generating strong interest from male applicants in law enforcement across the OECS. Delivered through a flexible combination of online, in-person, and fly-in instruction, it allows police and prison officers to pursue their degrees while continuing to serve in their home countries.

Similarly, the Faculty of Sport has introduced degree programmes in areas such as coaching and sport science, which are expected to appeal to young men passionate about athletics and careers in sport.

“Sport is not just a form of recreation—it’s a gateway to education, opportunity, and personal development,” Robinson said. “We believe that offering clear career pathways through these programmes will resonate with male students who might not otherwise consider university.”

Education Minister Daryll Matthew, who also oversees sport, has backed the move and encouraged deeper partnerships between the Ministry and the university to create access points for young men who may be disengaged from formal education systems.

“We must do more to ensure that boys and young men see higher education as a place where they belong,” Matthew said. “UWI Five Islands is showing that the right programmes can make a difference.”

Campus leaders are also exploring additional strategies, including targeted scholarships, mentorship programmes, and alternative matriculation pathways to help more males qualify and succeed at the university level.

With the goal of reaching 5,000 students within the next decade, UWI Five Islands is placing inclusive access at the centre of its expansion plan—and closing the gender gap is a key part of that mission.

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